Picking Up the Pieces
by electricblue1214
Summary: Ever since Lisanna died, I couldn't bring myself to fall in love again. That was, until I met you. You brought happiness back to my world, and you're picking up the pieces to my broken heart one painful step at a time.


Picking Up the Pieces

 _I sprinted down the corridor and into her hospital room, shoving the door open as I made my way to her side._

 _She was getting weaker and weaker by the day, and I couldn't take it; everyone knew she was going to die, soon. I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't stand to see her in her current state, so weak, so vulnerable, and thin._

 _She was starting to disappear from this world, out of my grasp forever, and there was nothing I can do about it._

 _This couldn't be the last time I got to see her. She had to live. If she died, she would have left behind so many people who love her, as well as myself. I love her. If she were to die, my whole world would collapse._

 _"Lisanna!" I call out frantically as I kneel by her hospital bed. Mirajane, her precious sister, pulls up a chair for me, and I sit down next to the girl I love as she lays on her hospital bed weakly, gripping onto her cold, almost lifeless hand as if it were my lifeline. "Don't leave me. Please."_

 _"Natsu," she calls out my name, her free hand shaking as it makes its way to caress my cheek, stroking it with her thumb, "Everyone dies eventually. I just happen to be dying sooner than most people."_

 _"Don't say that!" I exclaim, tears welling up in the corners of my eyes, grasping onto her hand even tighter, "I refuse to let you die!"_

 _"It's going to be okay, Natsu," she assures me while squeezing my hand gently. I don't believe her for a second. "We all knew this was bound to happen someday. At least, you won't have to worry about me anymore."_

 _"It's not going to be okay!" I protest, the tears threatening to fall now streaming down my cheeks. "Don't you have any idea on how your death is going to affect the people around you? How many loved ones you're going to leave behind? People who care for you? Don't...Don't you know how much this is going to affect me?"_

 _"Natsu," she says my name again with her attempt to soothe me, but I still refuse to calm down. I can't calm down. Not when my girlfriend is dying right in front of me. She takes my other free hand into hers. "Hey. I said don't worry, didn't I? You're smart; I know you'll figure how to cope on your own, how you're going to choose to live your life after I'm gone. I know my death will make an impact on you, but you have to be strong. Please, be strong for me."_

 _"How can you be so calm, Lisanna?!" I ask, anger boiling up inside me, "Aren't you scared of dying?"_

 _"Me? Scared of dying?" she replies at almost a laugh, "Of course I am. I'm terrified."_

 _"Then how can you be so calm?!" I repeat, wanting to rip my hair out of frustration._

 _"Because I know that when I die, there are going to be people who care_ _about me and miss me," she responds, still as calm and as level-headed as ever, "I know that my life wasn't a waste, and that I have family and friends that I'm going to miss, and that I love. I know that my life has a meaning, and that's good enough for me."_

 _"But, Lisanna-"_

 _"Hey, Natsu," she interrupts, looking straight at me with those piercing, cerulean eyes I loved so dearly, "I want you to promise me something."_

 _"Anything," I say, "What do you want?"_

 _"I want you to promise me," she starts, her voice breaking as she's about to start crying. Taking a deep breath, she continues. "I want you to promise me that when I'm gone, you will live your life to the fullest no matter what happens. Live every day as if it were your last, and live all of your remaining days for me. I want you to find another girl that will make you happy, and please, please cherish her and never let her go. Please move on. Please. Do it for me."_

 _"..."_

 _"I want you to promise me that," she continues as tears now start to fall from her eyes, seeing that I am speechless, my mouth open as I gape at her. Grasping my hand until her knuckles turn white, she speaks again. "Natsu, please. I know this is hard for you to take in...please say something."_

 _"I-I..." I stammer, still in shock, "I promise you, Lisanna. I won't let you down."_

 _"Good," she approves, nodding her head as she wipes her tears away from her pale face, "I wish you luck."_

 _And with that, she gives me one last kiss._

* * *

That was the last time I spoke to Lisanna.

She died a few days later from her terminal disease which I can't even remember the name of.

But what I can still remember is that smile that never left her face, even as she knew she was dying. Her smile could illuminate any room she walked into.

And on that day...I made that promise to her, but unfortunately I never did keep it.

Ever since her death, it seems as if the world around me has collapsed like I predicted. I can't live on without her. She gave my life its meaning; she was like a missing piece of my heart, and without her, it shattered into a million pieces with no one there to pick them up. I can't...I can't pick them up on my own.

Everyday seems like a lull. There isn't really a reason for me to live or love anymore. It may seem cliché and all, but each day ticks by and drags on, and I'm just stuck here in the middle of this merciless world surviving, never living my life the way I vowed. There's no happiness in my life anymore, and each day I go on surviving is merely a bland routine that I have to repeat again.

I hate my life to its core is what I'm trying to say in general.

Why must I even exist in such a brutal-

"Are you alright, Natsu?" a familiar voice interrupts me out of my thoughts. Looking up, I find Lucy, a co-worker of mine, holding up a cup of coffee at me with a concerned look on her face.

"I'm fine," I nodded, taking the mug from her gratefully and taking a sip of the bitter drink.

Exactly like my life: bitter.

"You don't look okay," she remarks worriedly, taking one of her soft, pale hands and pressing it against my forehead, "Are you sick? Do you need to go home?"

"I'm fine, Lucy," I snap, taking her hand off of my forehead and trying to contain the embarrassed blush now covering my cheeks, hiding my face in the scarf always wrapped around my neck.

As if my touch was poison, she jerks away, jumping slightly.

"Well, geez, Natsu," she huffs, hands on her hips, "You don't have to be so rude about it. I was just looking out for a friend."

"I don't need you to look out for me," I tell her as she walks away.

"Whatever," she laughs, waving a hand with her back turned to me, "When you finally do need help, you know where to find me."

"I doubt it," I chuckle, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips as I resume my usual, monotonous work routine.

Lucy is the only one that can make me smile nowadays. She's the only one I know that desires to befriend me, too, despite my cold, probably passive-aggressive personality. I don't know what it is about her, but whenever I'm around her it seems as if I just have to smile no matter what the day brings me.

It's like she's a beam of light in my dark, lifeless world. It's like she is the one exception of happiness that can take away all of the sadness and suffering that I bring.

But without her, I seep back into the sinking, bottomless pit of depression I can't seem to get out of no matter how hard I try.

And I never know what's up with her.

She's a weird one as well: insisting she gets me coffee every morning regardless of how many times I decline, checking on me at least once or twice throughout the work day, and even helping me out when she has work she needs to do herself.

Weirdo.

Speaking of weirdo, here she comes again.

"Natsu," she says, barging into my cubicle without my permission, "It's late. Aren't you going to check out yet?"

What?

I look at the bottom part of my computer where it shows the time, my eyes widening at what time it was.

"I'm surprised you didn't know what the time was," she suppresses a laugh, "Usually, you're the first one out of here. Everyone left almost an hour ago."

"Where did all the time go?" I mutter to myself before turning my head back to Lucy, "Thanks for telling me, Lucy."

"No problem," she replies, giving a small smile as she grips onto her coat tightly.

I expect her to leave right after that, but she stays, waiting for me to finish packing up my things as she watches me, which makes this even more awkward than it already is.

"Um," I start, wrapping my muffler around my neck, not knowing what to say as I walk out of my cubicle with her right behind me. I turn to face her. "You didn't have to wait for me, you know. You could've just left, Lucy."

"I-It's fine," she stammers, "I-I was waiting for you because I wanted to ask you something."

"What did you want to ask me?" I inquire, raising a brow at her curiously.

She avoids all eye contact with me, never meeting my gaze as I wonder what she's going to say. I've never seen her like this before. She seems...shy, which is rare because I've never seen the words "Lucy" and "shy" used before in the same sentence. Usually, she's so straightforward about everything to me. And I mean everything.

"U-Um," she stutters, looking down at the floor with her face flushed as she grips her bag tightly, "I was wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner with me tonight. I-I know it's pretty late and all, and you don't have to, but-"

"Sure," I reply almost immediately, a blush on my cheeks.

How did that happen? I didn't even realize I said yes until I saw her expression. What's wrong with me?

"Really?" she asks hopefully, the color of her face matching mine, "I thought you were going to say no."

"Why would you think I'd say no?" I repeat her words.

She looks away from me again. It seems like the floor has become quite interesting to her today.

"You just don't seem like that kind of person that would go out with me," she murmurs, "No offense."

"None taken," I say back, scratching the back of my neck sheepishly, "I get why you would think that."

"So," she suggests quietly at almost a whisper, "Shall we go, then?"

"Yeah, sure," I approve, starting to walk out of the office building. She quickly trails behind me but leaves a certain amount of space between us as we walk. I can sense her nervousness, but I don't understand why she's so nervous. It's just me, after all.

"Say, Lucy," I speak, breaking the silence between us, "You don't have to walk so far behind me. I'm not a stranger. Plus, this is a date, isn't it?"

Blushing the color of a tomato, she picks up the pace until she's walking next to me.

"I-It doesn't have to be," she stammers.

"But I want it to be," I counter, her eyes widening at my statement. If it was possible that she could turn a brighter shade of red, perhaps she did at that moment. I grin. She's cute when she's embarrassed. Throwing my arms behind my head, I finish what I have to say. "It's been a while since I've been on a date."

"But why would you want to go on a date with me?" she asks out of the blue.

"Well, you're the one who asked me," I recall, "And where are we going, anyway? I'm starving!"

"I don't know," she mumbles.

"You don't know?" I question, raising a brow.

"I don't know!" she exclaims, "I don't know where we're going to eat! Heck, I don't even know why I asked you out in the first place!"

"Smooth," I remark, a smirk on my face.

"Shut up!" she commands, only to make me laugh.

When was the last time I've truly laughed since this moment? I swear it's like this woman has some kind of effect on me. I can't help but smile around Lucy. I don't know why this feels so right with her. The last time something felt this right was with...was with Lisanna.

"I'm just messing with you," I laugh, "Why don't we just go to the first café we spot?"

"Okay," she agrees as she nods her head, "That sounds good."

We do spot a café minutes later. I let her go in first, holding the door open and then following her inside. We find a table near the windows and sit there across from each other, watching the stars twinkle in the night sky before clouds start to take their place and rain starts to pour a while later.

I turn my head away from the window to look at her. This is a side of Lucy I have never seen before: her hair is a mess, her face is flushed, she refuses to make eye contact with me, and she looks down shyly, blowing gently on her cup of coffee that had just been served to her by the waiter.

"It's a good thing we got in here before the rain started," I speak, trying to coax her back into a coversation, but it was a failed attempt. She nods, taking a sip of her coffee as she looks out the window again, watching the rain droplets fall onto the window and cover the glass. Why is she so quiet all of a sudden?

I give up on small talk and subtlety and try once more. This time with a different approach.

"Lucy, when was the last time you went out on a date?" I question bluntly, her eyes widening as she puts down her cup of coffee and looks at her hands in her lap.

"I don't remember," she replies. Lies.

"Don't play dumb with me," I chide, scoffing, "and you're the one who always calls me an idiot. When was the last time you had a boyfriend, at least?"

"Why do you want to know?" she questions. I shrug.

"I don't know," I answer, "Because I want to."

I take a sip from my cup of coffee, awaiting her answer. It seems like a struggle for her to answer questions about her love life, but then again, if I were her, I'd be like that, too.

Still, I wonder why I continue to ask these questions that make her uncomfortable. It's like I have a dying hunch to know.

"High school," she finally blurts out. I choke slightly on my coffee.

"High school?" I repeat once I'm back to normal. She hasn't dated anyone since high school?

"Yes," she confesses with a sigh, "High school. I was in love with this one guy, and I know he loved me, too. We were inseparable, but unfortunately, we didn't last."

"What happened?" I ask, intrigued to know more about her story. The more I hear from Lucy, the more I want to know more about her.

"Natsu," she remarks, offering a weak smile and avoiding my question, "It's not very polite to ask a girl all these questions on a first date. This is a we're-serious-and-in-a-relationship type of thing."

"But I'm your - wait, what am I to you?" I question curiously as I play along.

This is the second time today I see Lucy blushing the deepest shade I've ever seen.

"You're the guy I like now," she mumbles. Though, I don't catch it.

"What was that?" I ask, "I couldn't hear you."

"Well, good," she scoffs, "I'd rather have you not hear me, anyway."

"Lucy," I whine, "Tell me."

"Natsu," she mocks, laughing after she sees my scowl, "I won't."

Seeing her laugh like that, I smirk. She wants to be like this, then? She wants to play this chasing game with me? I'll gladly play.

"If you won't tell me why, then I'm going to walk out on you right now," I warn, standing up from my seat, "and don't even bother asking me to a second date if I do walk out, because I will say no."

She's still silent afterwards with her hands in her lap, so I take that as my cue to leave.

"Okay, then," I sigh as I start to walk towards the door, "I'll be leaving now. It was nice talking to you, Lucy-"

"Natsu, wait!" she exclaims, grabbing my forearm just as my hand grasps the cool metal of the door handle.

She chased after me. I'm relieved. In reality, I never did want this date to end. If she would have let me walk out on her, I wouldn't know what to do without her. Knowing Lucy, she would avoid me at all costs and refuse to speak with me ever again. Plus, she wouldn't get me coffee anymore in the morning, ruining my favorite part of the day and having me to get it myself.

Idiot. Why were you about to let me walk out like that?

"What is it?" I question, trying not to sound rude.

"I-I-" she stammers, looking up at me innocently with her chocolate eyes, "Please don't leave me! Please!"

I freeze at the sight of her.

That look...it's the same look Lisanna gave me the last time I saw her, when she made me promise to live for her. That look was the same look that made me promise her I would love someone else for her, and it is the promise I have failed to keep.

What have I done? I'm a despicable human being that doesn't deserve all this support and friendship from the people around me. I'm nothing; I'm worthless; I can't-

"Natsu," she begs, taking my hand off the door handle and placing it in hers, "Please say something."

I have to make a decision now: I can either try to love, or go back to the way things were and never love again.

It's my choice, and it's an easy one.

Placing the correct amount of money on the table, I take Lucy's hand and pull her out of the café.

"Where are we going?" she questions as we continue to walk.

"Surprise," I reply, shrugging my shoulders.

"Natsu, you better tell me where we're going, or else I'm going home!" she threatens.

Hearing that, I chuckle, stopping as I turn around to face her and flashing a grin.

"You're not going to go home," I predict, letting go of her hand.

"And what makes you say that?" she huffs, hands on her hips.

"I have a feeling," I muse, "Just follow me."

Unexpectedly, she obeys and she lets me take her hand in mine once more, leading her through the now-quiet streets of Magnolia with nothing but the glow from the streetlights to keep us company.

Minutes later, we arrive at a large apartment complex, stopping at the entrance before I let go of her hand and open the door for her.

"Thanks," she mumbles as I come in after her, closing the door behind me. Lucy examines the place shortly before looking back at me. "You live here?"

"Yeah, I do," I answer honestly.

"What floor?" she continues to ask with curiosity.

"Third," I reply again, raising an eyebrow, "Why?"

"It's nothing," she shrugs off, heading towards the stairs and bolting up them, "Are you coming or what?"

"You don't have to be so impatient," I mutter, trailing after her. "Just wait for me."

By the time I reach the second floor, Lucy has already made her way to the third. She taps her foot impatiently and crosses her arms, waiting for me to join her.

She finally replies to me, "Just hurry up! I'm getting even more impatient! You're so slow!"

"Hearing you say that I'm slow makes me want to take my time even more," I laugh as I continue to walk up the stairs. When I finally do meet up with her, I ruffle her hair, causing her to puff her cheeks out and causing me to poke them.

"Hey!" she exclaims as she slaps my hand away from her face, "Don't do that!"

"And why not?" I counter.

"Because it's rude!" she laughs, "What would you do if I punched you in the face?"

"If you were someone I didn't like, I would punch you right back," I admit, "but since you're Lucy, and since you're a girl, I wouldn't do anything."

"Are you calling me weak?" she scoffs, "I'll have you know, I have a pretty powerful 'Lucy kick.'"

"Lucy kick?" I cackle, "What? Are you drunk or something? Did they put something in your coffee?"

"No!" she protests, "And unless you want a firsthand experience, you should shut your mouth."

"Rude," I remark, walking down the corridor to the last door. I unlock it, letting her into my apartment.

"Wow, Natsu," she breathes, taking a look around, "I didn't know you were such - such a slob. It's a pigsty in here."

"Well, I haven't had anyone over in a while," I explain, "and if you didn't ask me to dinner so suddenly, I would've clean up the place if I knew you were coming. Which reminds me, we never did have dinner. Thanks a lot, Lucy, I was starving!"

"How is this my fault!?" she argues, "Natsu, you idiot, you were the one who was about to walk out on me - what's so funny?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing!" I assure, ruffling her hair, "I'm just glad to see you're back to normal."

"I wasn't normal?" she inquires.

"No," I reply with a chuckle, "you were super awkward."

"How rude!" she exclaims, smacking me with her purse and hitting me in the arm.

"What do you keep in there?!" I shout, rubbing the part of my arm where she hit me, that part of my skin bright red. I wince slightly; hopefully, that won't leave a bruise. "I was partially kidding, anyway."

She looks as if she might hit me again, and I brace myself for the worse. But thankfully, instead of probably smacking me right across the face, she lowers her purse and looks at me straight in the eye, her expression softening.

"Well," she speaks after what seems to be like forever, "at least, you're honest. I'd hate it even more if you lied. It has been a while since I've been on a date and all."

"I thought you said this wasn't a date," I remark.

"Shut up!" she barks at me before calming herself down. As of today, I've learned Lucy's got quite the temper.

"But in all seriousness," I admit, walking up to her and pulling her into a tight embrace, "I like this Lucy better. Promise me you'll never change."

"I-I," she stammers, obviously shocked by my sudden touch of affection as she hugs me back, "I promise, Natsu. I won't change."

"Good," I mumble, finally pulling away to look at her, her face a shade of red that would even make a fire engine pale in comparison. I laugh at her. "You sure blush a lot."

"You're the one that's making me blush," she retorts.

I pull her into another hug, not ever wanting to let go. She hugs me back tightly, burying her face in my chest out of sheer embarrassment.

It's been a while since I've held someone like this. The last time was - no, I can't about it. I can't think about Lisanna anymore. Not while she's here. Not while she's here, and I have at least some sense of security and the littlest bit of happiness in me.

Breathing in Lucy's scent, I find it calming, my body relaxing, and addictive. She smells good, though I can't exactly define what she smells like. All that I know is that her scent does wonders to me.

I'm really starting to wonder just exactly how much I like this girl. And what I'm really starting to wonder is that if I have what it takes to move on and be with her, if she'll except me for who I am in my depressed glory.

"Natsu," she breaks the silence between us, ending our embrace and looking up at me, "There's still so much I don't know about you."

"I could say the same for you," I reply.

"But it's okay," she says with a flushed face, "All that I know is that I like you."

"Lucy," I say, my cheeks the same color as my hair.

"And I want to learn more about you," she continues, her brown orbs staring into mine, "Even if that means it's going to take an eternity, so be it. I want to learn everything there is to know about you, and I want you to trust me and have the courage to tell me what your feeling. Even if you don't like me back in that way, I want to be in your life somehow, even if that means that I can only be your friend."

"Lucy, I-"

"Natsu," she interrupts me, this time breaking our eye contact, "as crazy as it seems, I think I've fallen in love with you."

"Lucy-"

"It's okay if you don't like me back, I just-"

"Lucy, if you're going to keep interrupting me, I'll never give you an answer," I point out with a small smile.

"So, then," she murmurs, "what do you say?"

"If you let me learn more about you," I reply with a grin, "and if you'll except me for who I am, I think this might work."

"So that's a yes?" she inquires hopefully, holding her breath.

"Be my girlfriend, Lucy," I propose, "and you'd make me happy again."

"Natsu-"

She never got to finish her sentence. I think Lucy was at such a loss for words that she just burst into tears and flung her arms around my neck. I wrap my arms around her waist, placing a kiss on her cheek that makes her bury her face in my chest once more, her salty tears soaking the soft material of my shirt.

To be honest, I'm at a loss for words myself. I actually found someone who will cherish me and care for me just as much or maybe more than Lisanna did. I found her.

"I never thought I would find someone again," she sobs as I hold her, "Ever since Sting died, I couldn't bring myself to move on."

"Who's Sting?" I force myself to ask, my throat feeling dry.

This is what we wanted. To learn more about each other. And now we're going to start by me learning about Lucy's past, which looks just about as dark as mine.

"My ex-boyfriend from high school," she continues to cry, "He was driving me home from a date one evening when a drunk driver ran through a red light and collided with his car. He...he shielded me from most of the crash, Natsu. He gave up his own life to save mine. If it weren't from him, who knows where I would be now. Probably dead. It haunts me every time I think about it."

"I'm sorry for your loss," I say, but she shakes her head, wiping the tears away from her cheeks.

"No, it's okay," she shrugs off, "I'm over it by now. I know that Sting is watching over me, and knowing him, this is what he would have wanted. He would have wanted me to move on, he would have wanted me to happy, and he would have wanted me to know that his life wasn't wasted since he spent and lived everyday to the fullest. So, I'm going to move on, Natsu. I'm going to live for his sake, and I'm going to love you for the sake of yours."

"Lucy-"

"So, tell me, Natsu," she demands, "who have you lost that caused you to be like this?"

"How do you know I'm like this because I lost someone?" I counter.

"I can see it in your eyes," she replies, her voice breaking slightly, "I see the same expression that I see in myself every time I look in a mirror."

"Lucy-"

"Tell me."

Taking a deep breath, I tell her everything. It feels good to pour out all my bottled-up emotions and get these feelings off of my chest.

Lucy gives me a small smile when my story's finished. I guess we both have our own scars from loss that we've never talked about to anyone. I smile back at her.

"Luce," I start, "Thanks for cheering me up."

"You, too," she agrees, nodding her head, "This is a good start. I hope you can tell me more in the future."

"I will," I guarantee, "because I already trust you."

"Natsu," she shakes her head, clicking her tongue in disapproval, "don't be naive."

"But, really," I insist, "I trust you, Lucy."

"And I trust you," she admits, taking ahold of my hand, "but I have to go now."

"What?" I plead, "You just got here! Can't you just stay a little longer?"

"Silly," she chides, "we have work tomorrow, remember? It's late, and I need to sleep."

"Yeah, yeah," I mutter, "At least, let me walk you home."

"That won't be necessary, Natsu," she assures, "I live closer to you than you think."

"No, really," I offer, "I insist."

"No, really," she guarantees, "Just stay outside your door and watch."

Lucy exits my apartment much to my dismay, just like I expected. But what I wasn't expecting was for her to walk straight ahead and unlock the apartment across from me! Gaping at her, the words could barely come out of my mouth.

"Lucy?" I sputter, "We're neighbors!?"

"Guess so," she shrugged, "It was a surprise to me, too. It's weird we've never run into each other before."

"Yeah."

"Well, goodnight, Natsu," she sighs, opening her door when words fly out of my mouth again.

"Wait!" I call, and she stops to turn around and look at me, "Meet me after work tomorrow. I'm taking you to dinner to make up for today."

"There's really no need for that, Natsu-"

"I want to take you to dinner tomorrow."

"Fine," she surrenders with a laugh, "if you insist. Goodnight, Natsu."

"Goodnight, Lucy."

* * *

After what seemed to be an eternity, waking up in the morning was actually easy for me for once. It's been awhile since I've woken up like this, feeling refreshed and recharged, ready to tackle whatever today would bring me. Maybe it's because I've actually got something to look forward to instead of just a boring, monotonous, work routine.

I prepare for work and eat my breakfast quickly, and before I know it, I'm out my door and staring at Lucy's apartment door. She's probably already gone by now; she's always at work before me.

And I'm actually correct about that once I head to work. When I see her again, she's handing me coffee like our usual routine. Only this time, I don't push her away. I feel truly happy, an emotion I haven't felt in such a long time. Truly, I only have Lucy to thank for my newfound happiness.

The rest of the work day continues and drags on as usual, but I can't help feeling jittery and checking the time every couple of minutes, waiting to see when I can finally leave and see Lucy again.

"You must be daydreaming again, Natsu," she tells me, making me jump slightly and interrupting me of my thoughts. "Do I always have to get you from now on? Because you're always zoning out."

"It would be greatly appreciated," I state. She laughs.

"I'll just wait for you, then," she declares.

I quickly gather up my belongings, and we start to head out once again. This time it's different between us, though. Lucy's finally comfortable enough around me, judging by the way she's leaning on my shoulder. It's not awkward between us anymore.

I look down at her, and she looks up back at me as we exchange a smile. I'm glad I met her; I'm glad I met Lucy. My Lucy.

And thank you, Lisanna. If it weren't for you telling me to move on, I probably would never have. I probably would have been stuck inside my world of darkness forever without any beam of light or hope to save me. I'm happy you lived your life to the fullest, and I'm happy you were a big part of my life. Thank you for telling me to move on, and thank you for caring about my happiness. Finally, I can fulfill your promise. And finally, after a long time, I found a girl that I will cherish and a girl that will make me happy. When we meet again, I promise you'll meet her.

Her name is Lucy Heartfilia.

And she'll be the one picking up the pieces to my once-broken heart.

* * *

 **Author's Note: This is the longest piece I have ever written. Wow. It seemed like it took forever. Almost 6k words.**

 **If you've made it this far, thank you for reading this. I really appreciate it. I worked really hard on this one-shot.**

 **Leave a lovely review, please? And don't forget to favorite!**

 **Thank you so much! :)**


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